Sputtering is the thin film deposition manufacturing process at the core of today's semiconductor, disk drive, CD, and optical device industries. For example, a sputter deposition apparatus includes a plurality of metallic targets. During processing, Ar ions collide with the targets under the impact of a voltage applied on the metallic targets. As a result, a metal layer is formed on the wafer. The sputtering deposition apparatus includes an elevation unit for rotating and vertically moving the mounting table.
Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) devices are typically manufactured using sputter deposition technologies. An MTJ device includes a plurality of magnetic layers and the magnetic layers are separated by a tunnel insulating layer. A tunnel insulating layer can be deposited using insulating target sputter deposition technologies.
Conventionally, the in-plane thickness distribution of a deposited film is determined by the various aspects of the mechanical and electrical/magnetic configurations of the sputter deposition chamber. For example, the distances between the targets and the mounting table, the sizes of the targets, the magnetic circuit of a cathode magnet and the like are all factors affecting the film thickness distribution across the wafer. However, it is very expensive and difficult to redesign a hardware component and install it in a sputter deposition apparatus. For example, an elevation unit used to change the distances between the targets and the mounting table is complicated in structure and is costly to design upgrade, manufacture, assemble and install.